Farmers get a reprieve on change in well-pumping rates

For many years, farmers who use groundwater had an off-peak energy rate through PG&E to pump on weekends and for a few days during the week.

It takes a lot of energy to pump groundwater, and without the special rates most growers would pump on the weekends, when energy costs decline.

But those off-peak rates were schedule to expire March 1.

The concern was that if everyone switched to pumping on the weekends, wells could be impacted.

Farmer Rich McGowan took up the issue, and reached out to farmers in various areas of the county, particularly the Durham area where wells have been known to go down during drought.

Butte County Farm Bureau Director Colleen Cecil and McGowan met with leaders of the State Farm Bureau Federation and asked for some help with PG&E. Some more local information was gathered and presented.

This was all in early February, and by this week, the California Public Utility Commission agreed the rates could remain the way they are now, at least until next year.

"Its not perfect. It's only for a year," Cecil said. "But we were able to make our case where regulators and farmers could work together.

"I appreciate PG&E going to bat for us," she said.

Sometimes rules are decided "behind a desk," without realizing what actually takes place, in this case, out in the fields.

Spreading out groundwater use will be much better for communities through the drought, she said, and regulators agreed.